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Part of
Bilingualism, Executive Function, and Beyond: Questions and insights
Edited by Irina A. Sekerina, Lauren Spradlin and Virginia Valian
[Studies in Bilingualism 57] 2019
► pp. 295–336

Chapter 19
Teasing apart factors influencing executive function performance in bilinguals and monolinguals at different ages

| Florida International University
| Bangor University
| The Education University of Hong Kong
| Bangor University
| Bangor University
| Bangor University
| Bangor University
| Bangor University
| Bangor University

This study attempts to tease apart a variety of factors that may contribute to performance on executive function tasks. Data from the Simon task are re-examined to determine the contributions of age, SES, language proficiency/vocabulary, general cognitive performance, and bilingualism on performance. The results suggest influence from a variety of factors, with major contributions from relative age and from language proficiency, as measured by vocabulary. Bilingualism showed some effect in relation to older adults’ accuracy of performance, in both congruent and incongruent conditions, but not to reaction time.

Keywords: executive function, bilingual advantage, Simon task
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.This study
    • 2.1Method
      • 2.1.1Participants
      • 2.1.2Stimuli
        • 2.1.2.1Simon tasks
          • 2.1.2.1.1Adult version
          • 2.1.2.1.2Child version
          • 2.1.2.1.3Procedure
        • 2.1.2.2English vocabulary
        • 2.1.2.3Cognitive abilities
        • 2.1.2.4SES
    • 2.2Results
      • 2.2.1Correlations
      • 2.2.2Regressions
        • 2.2.2.1Accuracy
          • 2.2.2.1.1Congruent condition
          • 2.2.2.1.2Incongruent condition
        • 2.2.2.2RT
          • 2.2.2.2.1Congruent condition
          • 2.2.2.2.2Incongruent condition
        • 2.2.2.3Difference scores
          • 2.2.2.3.1Diff ACC
          • 2.2.2.3.2Diff RT
        • 2.2.2.4Summary, regression analyses
  • 3.Discussion
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
  • Appendix
Published online: 12 June 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.57.19gat
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